There's a new interview on PC Gamer talking with Markus "Notch" Persson of Mojang about 0x10c, their upcoming space game. He discusses the current state of the game, how alpha testing will commence "as soon as it's fun," how the art is shaping up, and more. He also talks business, saying it is likely they will attempt a subscription model while allowing for the possibility they might change this if players want a free-to-play system. He also answers a question about how the PC will do alongside next generation consoles:

Itís very interesting to try and think about that. The console manufacturers need to focus on things that are just entertainment. Because if you want to watch Netflix and play games then you can do that more efficiently on a PC, especially if you hook it up to a TV. Now we have the Steam Big Picture stuff, we can actually get the TV experience in an easy way. Before it was all special cable and weird nonsense but now itís definitely doable. And so I think [console manufacturers] need to focusÖ I mean the 3DS for example has custom hardware and itís built to be in your pocket. Instead of just being this is a way to play games on your TV, it has to be more than that somehow.

"Frankly I think he's showing it off way too early." I think he's just an open guy. It comes from the game dev forums he hung around on before he got popular, and participating in ludum dare etc. He's not trying to sell us anything right now, he's just a friendly guy who likes talking about what he's working on. 0x10c looks really weird and I don't think I'd pay a subscription to it, but I like the experimentation of it.

Also, some of you need to really read the article. From the sound of it it will still have a lan mode. The massive server part is what would require a subscription; and he's talking about each ship being a subscription. You and a bunch of friends could all run one ship together and it would only be one subscription; which is kind of a neat idea.

And it's just an interview, everything is offhand comments made by notch. He's not talking in publicity speak, he's just revealing random ideas he's had. I really like all of the space sim games on the horizon, and the cool thing is none of them are really that similar. Whatever 0x10c will turn into will definitely be niche - and that's cool.

Krizzen wrote on Nov 30, 2012, 14:30:You guys all act more entitled than the 12 year old capslock riding asshats plastering walls of fecal matter all over Blizzard's forums.

I don't see any entitled behavior and you're the one throwing a little tantrum because people don't agree with your view point. People are weighing in on what we've seen and heard so far.

As far as Minecraft goes, its not hard to see why people are expecting more out of his future games. I enjoyed it for what it was but there are a lot of half implemented features and mechanics, the game largely coasts on its independent label and the community driving meaningful content creation.

Beelzebud wrote on Nov 29, 2012, 22:54:The .01% of the audience that can program the computer will love it. I'm sorry, but just "whipping up" an emulator that plays games, or making navigational software for flying the ship isn't going to be something a lot of people are going to be able to do. Seems like a pretty tiny niche audience to go after.

I'm guessing the language/api isn't going to be as complex as you think. I remember an old game where you "programmed" mining robots with really simple routines. There are a few very simple flash games like that too.

I'm not going by a guess, I'm going by what he's said about it. It's an emulated 16-BIT CPU. It is programmed like you would program any 16-BIT computer. That might be "simple" by today's standards, but that's only for someone that can already code. It's about as niche as it gets for a 'game'.

At its lowest level. I still think there will be a ship api for simple interactions. Probably one that will be expanded by those with the programming knowledge to do so.

I'm expecting it to be complex if you want it to be, easy if you want it to be, or no programming at all if you want to just use the shareable pieces created by other players.

Fair enough, and it's not like it's a bad idea. I'm curious to see the other game systems he comes up with, though. For me that will determine if I actually spend any cash on it. Frankly I think he's showing it off way too early.

You guys all act more entitled than the 12 year old capslock riding asshats plastering walls of fecal matter all over Blizzard's forums.

Notch doesn't expect you to pay anything.(from the summary) "they will attempt a subscription model while allowing for the possibility they might change this if players want a free-to-play system"

The programming portion of the game is most definitely niche (Much like modding Skyrim; it's not something everyone will easily pickup, but a community can thrive). If you don't understand how that could be fun, forget this game existed and the butthurt will go away.

The game is intended to feature a procedurally generated universe and a totally customizable ship.

The game has only been in development for a few months. If you've ever worked on a gaming project yourself, particularly the programming end, you'd know it's progressed really, really fast. Real-time dynamic lighting? Check. Real-time physics? Check. Multiplayer? Check. Editor? Check. CPU emulator? Check. These things take a monumental amount of time to develop alone...

Also, the collectible card game Scrolls wasn't Notch's idea. It was his friend's. In fact, I don't think Notch develops Scrolls at all. I'm not saying Mojang isn't selling out, but saying that makes Notch a sellout is just incorrect.

Notch is absolutely loaded with cash now, but that doesn't mean that wild success he achieved with Minecraft will continue indefinitely. Notch might be the epitome of one hit wonder in gaming. However, the take home point is Minecraft wasn't an overproduced blatant cash grab marketeered by greedy corporate scum, but rather a labor of love marketed by word of mouth.

So 0x10c is an interesting pet project. It isn't the next Call of Doody. It's not supposed to be Minecraft 2 with 22nd century pixel shaders, HDR soundscapes, and real "gameplay". It's just a pet project, and an interesting foray into an experimental sub-genre.

Beelzebud wrote on Nov 29, 2012, 22:54:The .01% of the audience that can program the computer will love it. I'm sorry, but just "whipping up" an emulator that plays games, or making navigational software for flying the ship isn't going to be something a lot of people are going to be able to do. Seems like a pretty tiny niche audience to go after.

I'm guessing the language/api isn't going to be as complex as you think. I remember an old game where you "programmed" mining robots with really simple routines. There are a few very simple flash games like that too.

I'm not going by a guess, I'm going by what he's said about it. It's an emulated 16-BIT CPU. It is programmed like you would program any 16-BIT computer. That might be "simple" by today's standards, but that's only for someone that can already code. It's about as niche as it gets for a 'game'.

At its lowest level. I still think there will be a ship api for simple interactions. Probably one that will be expanded by those with the programming knowledge to do so.

Beelzebud wrote on Nov 29, 2012, 22:54:The .01% of the audience that can program the computer will love it. I'm sorry, but just "whipping up" an emulator that plays games, or making navigational software for flying the ship isn't going to be something a lot of people are going to be able to do. Seems like a pretty tiny niche audience to go after.

I'm guessing the language/api isn't going to be as complex as you think. I remember an old game where you "programmed" mining robots with really simple routines. There are a few very simple flash games like that too.

I'm not going by a guess, I'm going by what he's said about it. It's an emulated 16-BIT CPU. It is programmed like you would program any 16-BIT computer. That might be "simple" by today's standards, but that's only for someone that can already code. It's about as niche as it gets for a 'game'.

There are so many space exploration games coming out in the next year +. Between Starbound, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Limit Theory, 0x10c is the least interesting looking to me. As much fun as I had with Minecraft, if Notch expects me to pay him a monthly fee to essentially program the game for him, he's got another thing coming. Unless I see a pretty dramatic improvement in his next video releases besides some shooter pvp in what looks worse than Quake 1 graphics, I'll not likely pick the game up.

Somewhat off subject, the above games listed all look cool but a few seem a bit overly ambitious. Star Citizen for one seems to be trying to do so many different things that I feel that the end result cant possibly live up their lofty goals. I'd rather see them put out an amazing game with 1/2 of the features than an unfocused, buggy but massive game.

The multiverse concept as planned requires a persistent server backend. What were you expecting?

Are you kidding? Please say you're kidding. You've got to be kidding.

No, I'm not kidding. One of the core game concepts is based on programs that run 24/7; you're essentially using a slice of server time at all times whether you're online or not. As far as server hardware requirements go, that's going to add up quickly.

Is Notch supposed to just run racks and racks of servers for free until the end of time?

Beelzebud wrote on Nov 29, 2012, 22:54:The .01% of the audience that can program the computer will love it. I'm sorry, but just "whipping up" an emulator that plays games, or making navigational software for flying the ship isn't going to be something a lot of people are going to be able to do. Seems like a pretty tiny niche audience to go after.

I guess we'll have to see how the rest of the game fleshes out, if it all, because right now there is nothing that I would pay a subscription fee for.

Yeah this is kind of where I'm at too. The idea sounds interesting but the video he showed awhile ago seemed really lame and certainly not worth paying a monthly fee for. I have to agree with the other poster who mentioned that its weird he seems fixated more on revenue models than anything else. A trading card game and a subscription MMO are really ehhh no thanks. Given Notchs inability to really finish ideas he starts I'll probably avoid this.

Sepharo wrote on Nov 29, 2012, 23:26:I'm guessing the language/api isn't going to be as complex as you think. I remember an old game where you "programmed" mining robots with really simple routines. There are a few very simple flash games like that too.

Who could forget Carnage Heart? Or even Adventure Construction Set? Although I must say, there's been many small types of programming lately in games, including Minecraft - especially if you consider the version they announced for Raspberry Pi. I personally have no issue with more adventurous games, especially if they are open enough to allow a great amount of third party "support." Those who can't program can get something that will make it operate like functional blocks...

Still, subscription? Maybe for developers if you are attracting a multi-class audience, but not for the general user. I suppose if one is trying to be creative then such creativity should not be limited to just the game. As for the presence of Steam Big Picture, it will be interesting to see how that pans out. Not entirely sure how well it will work for a game like this...

Notch,Protip, consoles aren't just about ease of hookup. They are also about a standardized setup that is easy to USE too. Regardless of how much more capable they are, PC's will never offer that level of standardization and ease of use. Even if MS gets its wish that it controls all apps, thats still just the software.

InBlack wrote on Nov 30, 2012, 03:11:Kudos to Notch for sticking to his guns. Im guessing people who enjoyed minecraft will probably like this game even more. Its an itteration of the same thing basically. Remember when Blizzard used to do itteratios of its games? They did alright with that...

Yeah, but I'm sure as heck not going to pay monthly for it!

ViRGE wrote on Nov 30, 2012, 00:12:You can't bitch at the EAs of the world and then bitch at the Notches of the world at the same time.

I enjoyed Minecraft for the couple weeks I played it. What bothers me about Notch is that he seems to be abandoning what made him rich in the first place. I.E. creating a great product with tremendous replayability for a small, one time fee.

He then goes out and uses two of the most exploitive business models for his next two games, a collectible card game and a subscription mmo.

Kudos to Notch for sticking to his guns. Im guessing people who enjoyed minecraft will probably like this game even more. Its an itteration of the same thing basically. Remember when Blizzard used to do itterations of its games? They did alright with that...